Entertainment News Roundup: Chris Brown denies rape allegation in Paris; Netflix in running for top Oscars prize with 'Roma'

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Lebanese director credits street children actors for Oscar nod

Tuesday's Oscar nomination for the Lebanese film "Capernaum", praised for its depiction of poverty in the slums of Beirut, is a "huge victory" for the street children who acted in it, according to director Nadine Labaki. The nomination of a Lebanese picture for the Best Foreign Language Film award for the second year running is also a milestone for Arab and Lebanese cinema, Labaki told Reuters after the nominees were announced.

History-making Oscar nominations leave top prize up for grabs

Netflix movie "Roma" and British historical romp "The Favourite" from Fox Searchlight led nominations for the Oscars on Tuesday in a history-making lineup that left the best picture race wide open. The lists for the highest honors in the movie industry were packed with people of color, including nominees from Mexico, Greece and Poland, as well as films featuring the stories of women and gay and black people.

'Black Panther' leads popular films in Oscars best picture pack

Marvel Studios film "Black Panther" made Oscars history on Tuesday, landing the first best picture nomination for a superhero movie, as crowd-pleasing blockbusters muscled into a contest recently dominated by art-house fare. Other box-office hits among the eight nominees for the movie industry's top prize included musical remake "A Star is Born" and rock biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Viacom will buy Pluto TV streaming service for $340 million

Viacom Inc said on Tuesday it will buy Pluto TV, a free video streaming TV service, for $340 million in cash to expand its advanced advertising business. The owner of MTV Networks and Nickelodeon sees the purchase of the six-year-old company as another way to build a so-called direct-to-consumer business, Viacom said, while avoiding the capital intensive task of competing directly against subscription video services owned or to be built by Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co and AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia.

Netflix in the running for top Oscars prize with 'Roma'

Netflix Inc scored its first nomination for the prestigious best picture Oscar on Tuesday for "Roma," a milestone that will test whether Hollywood's film establishment is ready to award its top prize to a streaming service. "Roma" received 10 Academy Award nominations in total, tying "The Favourite" as the year's most-nominated film.

Oscars snub Bradley Cooper as director, 'Beale Street' as best picture

Academy awards voters lauded musical drama "A Star is Born" with eight nominations on Tuesday but surprisingly failed to recognize Bradley Cooper in the best director category for his retelling of the classic story about an up-and-coming performer. Cooper was nominated for best actor for his portrayal of tormented country star Jackson Maine, and also for adapted screenplay as a co-writer and in the best picture category as a producer.

Electric guitar maker Fender launches U.S.-made acoustic guitar

When Bob Dylan skipped his acoustic guitar and "went electric" on stage in 1965, it was with a Stratocaster model from Fender Musical Instruments Corp, considered by many the quintessential rock 'n' roll electric instrument. Now Fender is releasing a California-made acoustic guitar - its first production acoustic built in the United States in nearly 50 years.

American singer Chris Brown denies rape allegation in Paris

Singer Chris Brown said on Tuesday that a rape allegation against him was false, a day after the French prosecutor's office said that he had been arrested in Paris with two other suspects. Brown, who is a U.S. citizen, has been released from police custody as authorities were still investigating the case, the French prosecutor's office added.

Colman, Bale lead British talent charge in Oscar race

Actors Olivia Colman and Christian Bale lead the British charge in the race for this year's Oscars, with a horde of UK talent nominated on Tuesday for their work in front of and behind the camera in the film industry's top honors. British stars will contend for prizes in all four acting categories at the glitzy Feb. 24 awards, which in the past have seen UK films like "The King's Speech" triumph.

Chinese stars hit with $1.62 billion in 'cold winter' tax crackdown

Chinese authorities have collected more than 11 billion yuan ($1.62 billion) in unpaid taxes from celebrities and entertainment companies since they hit the industry with a crackdown, state media Xinhua reported on Tuesday. Xinhua, citing the national tax bureau and content watchdog, said the campaign, which began in October, had ended and companies and workers had been ordered to correct their tax records.